It’s supposed to be a nice hike that a family goes on with their dog on the island of Alderney in the English Channel.
But suddenly the family realise that their dog is missing. They can’t find him anywhere, no matter how hard they try. Panicked, they call the fire brigade.
A shocking discovery
A team from the Alderney Fire Brigade (AFB) is quickly on the scene. They search the whole area, but at first they can’t see or hear the four-legged friend either.
The landscape is rough and sometimes impassable, and what makes the search even more difficult are the high, rocky cliffs.
But the rescue team does not give up hope of finding the dog – hopefully alive.
What they suddenly discover takes their breath away: There is a small bright spot in the middle of a steep slope.
The emergency services immediately realise that it is the dog they are looking for. The four-legged friend has obviously slipped down the slope and is now stuck down there.
A difficult rescue
The furry friend was lucky not to have fallen any further down. The cliff is almost ten metres deep.
As the slope is not only steep, but also full of rubble, the dog runs the risk of sliding even further down and seriously injuring itself. The rescuers have to proceed carefully to get him up.
Two firefighters make their way to the little dog. They are secured with ropes and helmets, as the descent is very dangerous. The two others stay on top to hold the ropes.
They have a rescue harness with them for the little fur nose, which they use to attach her to one of the men.
When they get to her, they put the special harness on her. It’s not so easy because the helpers have hardly any grip on the slope and the dog is a little nervous despite her joy.
But with a lot of feeling and patience, they manage it. Now the ascent can begin.
Happy reunion and an important reminder
With the support of the two emergency services standing at the top, the two rescuers and the dog reach safe ground.
The family is overjoyed to have their little furry friend back, and so are they.
The rescuers briefly check whether she is really unharmed and give her some water. Then she is allowed to return to the arms of her family.
However, the firefighters still have a serious word to say:
„We advise all dog owners to keep their dogs on leads while walking near the cliffs.“
Let’s hope everyone follows this good advice, because not every fall from a cliff ends as happily as this one.
Source: The Dodo
